Local News

Although the establishment of a park located near the recently demolished section of the old Taylor County Elementary School has just begun, a name was chosen for the eventual park at Tuesday night’s meeting of the Taylor County Board of Education.

Upon request of Taylor County Schools Superintendent Roger Cook, the board voted unanimously to name the park in honor of former longtime Taylor County Board of Education Chairman Tony Davis, who passed away unexpectedly in May.

Saturday morning was great weather to get out on the water and catch some fish for around 30 veterans from the local area.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sponsored a Fishing with Veterans event at Holmes Bend Boat Ramp on Green River Lake. Around 30 veterans participated, according to Park Ranger Jessica Lee, who organized the event.

New statistics released Thursday from the Kentucky Department of Education show 85 homeless students in the local school districts.

Broken down further, the Taylor County School District reported 48 students as homeless, 1.9 percent of the 2,584 students in the district, according to KDE. The Campbellsville Independent School District reported 37 students as homeless, 3.4 percent of the school’s 1,092 students.

Next Thursday will be a busy afternoon in the city of Campbellsville, as the Bicentennial Committee has plans for a dedication ceremony at the Campbellsville Grist Mill, as well as a time capsule burial at the site.

The ceremonies will take place following the Campbellsville-Taylor County Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Campbellsville Civic Center, which begins at noon. State Rep. Bam Carney will be speaking at that luncheon.

The 2017-2018 school year is in full swing, as students and teachers are receiving their first big break of the year with both school districts on fall break.

However, both the Campbellsville Independent School District and the Taylor County School District received their report cards from the Kentucky Department of Education this week.

The report cards are released annually to each school district across the state that provides school administrators, teachers, and students with information about how they fared in state testing last year.

The Kentucky Utilities franchise agreement was approved and a newer, faster internet for businesses could be coming soon to Campbellsville. Those were some of the highlights from Monday night’s Campbellsville City Council meeting in the Campbellsville Civic Center.

KU and the city agreed on a 20-year agreement with a 3-percent franchise fee. The fee could be raised to 5 percent with a possible change recommended every four years of the agreement.

Residents of Campbellsville can look forward to simpler leaf collection and disposal this fall when the city rolls out its new XtremeVac Vacuum Leaf Collector.

Campbellsville Mayor Tony Young said this is a welcome improvement to an ongoing effort to keep the city's roadside ditches and culverts clean, in compliance with regulations set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Kentucky Division of Water.

Less than a week after an attempted robbery at Taylor County Bank, the suspect has been apprehended, according to a release from the Campbellsville Police Department.

Jeremiah Johnson, 45, of Sandersville Road in Lexington, was arrested last Friday following a traffic violation in Greensburg, Indiana, approximately 300 miles from Campbellsville. He is currently incarcerated at the Taylor County Detention Center after being extradited and being lodged in the jail at 10:08 p.m. Monday evening.

The opioid epidemic and discussion of a potential syringe exchange program in Taylor County were at the forefront of conversation during State Sen. Max Wise’s presentation at the meeting of the local American Association of Professional Coders (AAPC) chapter.

A new stop sign now stands at the corner of Lebanon Avenue and Main Street.

“Some businesses asked us to install some crosswalks and one of them was going to be there at Firestone and the tourism commission,” Mayor Tony Young said. “So, when we ran it by our police department to look at that, they recommended a stop sign.”

The change could probably have been made sooner, and there will still be some confusion until drivers get used to the situation. Out-of-town drivers were already confused on who had the right-of-way.